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How to Host a Banging Vegetarian Tailgate

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Last week I shared with ya’ll a really personal post about why I made the decision to go meat-free. For the most part it’s been pretty easy for me to make the lifestyle change, but I definitely had concerns going into it. Was I prepared to defend my decision to people who found it strange? Was I ready to turn down delicious crispy bacon? What would I eat at a steakhouse? What would I eat at the ballpark or at the stadium? These were all thoughts I wrestled with while contemplating whether or not I was ready to go meat-free.

My entire family has been super supportive of my decision! They’ve even been open to trying some new vegetarian friendly meal options along with me. Their only exception? They won’t sacrifice flavor! With that thought in mind, I knew I had to bring my A-game if I was going to be hosting our Sunday family tailgate this past weekend.

I’m going to let you in on my exact game plan for hosting a banging vegetarian tailgate and my friends at MorningStar Farms® are offering a special rebate!

How to Host a Banging Vegetarian Tailgate

Chips & Dips

Chips and dip is always a perfect tailgate food. I typically go with the tried and true tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole, and then try and bring a creamy cheese option as well. I make a mean batch of beer cheese dip. It’s super easy to make and it’s served cold so it can sit out a while and still be delicious.

Veggie Tray

I am totally that typical vegetarian that loves any and every vegetable. Even something like a raw veggie tray gives me the heart eyes (especially if there’s dill deep near by). A veggie tray is a nice light addition to balance out some of those creamy dips.

Veggie cuisine for the grill

I knew it wouldn’t feel like a true tailgate for my family without firing up the grill. Which is why I love the fact that MorningStar Farms® offers some delicious veggie cuisine perfect for grilling and being the star of my tailgate.

I wanted to have two different options on hand so I went with the MorningStar Farms® Spicy Black Bean Burger (which by the way, are America’s #1 veggie burger, can’t argue with that!) and MorningStar Farms® Original Chik Patties.

I had so much fun dressing up my MorningStar Farms® Spicy Black Bean Burger. I was craving some Mexican flare, so I add some jack cheese (hidden on the bottom! Anyone else out there prefer to have their cheese on the bottom of the bun?!), sliced tomatoes, and avocado. It was soooo good!For the MorningStar Farms® Original Chik Patties, I added some cheese, fried onions, a schmear of honey mustard and some spinach.

This baby got rave reviews from everyone! I even had people going back for seconds and telling me “they’re not even missing the meat!”. I was one happy hostess!

Crackers and cheese

I’m a Wisconsin girl, you had to know I was going to mention cheese! We are huge cheese lovers, and no spread is complete without many different kinds of cheese (seriously, we put our 4 to 5 different kinds at a time). I love to stay with something basic I know everyone will like, something like a mild cheddar, and then add in some fun flavors that I think people might enjoy. For this tailgate I had out a cranberry jack cheese, and a spicy Thai jack cheese.

A wide variety of beverages

A lot of people like to enjoy their tailgate with an alcoholic beverage, but don’t forget about the people who don’t want to drink. Have some bottle water and a few different kinds of soda on hand. If it’s a cold weather game brew some coffee or hot chocolate and keep it warm in a thermos.

Something sweet

I’m a sweets girl through and through. So of course my tailgate has to include something sweet. If you’re at the stadium tailgating I recommend making something like chocolate chip cookies that is easy to pack up and go. Since we were “homegating” I wanted make something a little more extravagant. This homemade apple crisp was the perfect finishing touch to my tailgate! And just to make sure everyone was impressed enough, I served it warm and topped it off with some caramel ice cream. I mean seriously…..There you have it! Everything you need for a completely meat-less and still delicious tailgate!

You can find MorningStar Farms® products for your next tailgate in the frozen section at your local Walmart. If you’re still in need of some help with what you can make for your next tailgate be sure to check out MorningStar Farms’ awesome social hub! There you can find tons of recipe inspiration. I’ve already scouted out some recipes for future tailgates. Check it out here and check out MorningStar Farms on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter

Tell me your favorite football team, Pro or college, and how you celebrate game time!

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